Lorette C. Luzajic
Toronto's Sneaky Dees, Home of the Nacho
By Lorette C. Luzajic
It’s doubtful you’ll find better nachos than the ones at Sneaky Dees, even if you traveled far and wide. For 20 years, this local watering hole for artists, ruffians, and indie musicians has served up world famous nachos and cheap beer. They would never skimp on the cheese or sour cream: the plate comes loaded with chopped veggies and ground beef if you want it, and the jalepenos are absolutely addictive. (Vegetarian or vegan patrons don’t need to miss out- the vegan nachos are pretty good.) A nacho platter can serve three starving sailors, and makes a hearty snack for a whole table of tipsy revelers. The drawback is that you’ll never, ever be satisfied ordering nachos anywhere else- they will seem rather pathetic once you’ve had these.
Sneaky Dees, a family-owned operation located at College and Bathurst, is a vast spectacle of graffiti, battered old tables, colourful murals, and loud, cheerful patrons from all walks of life. The crowd is notoriously mixed- families, notebook-toting goth poets, couples kissing or arguing, barely-legals chugging draft, slick producer types with laptops- as is the music performed upstairs and on the speaker systems in the dining area. You might hear some punk, or you might hit Bowie hour or some blues. The service is notoriously slow- there are lots of hungry mouths to feed- so don’t hit busy hours if you’re in a hurry. Sneaky Dees time is not Bay Street time, but plenty of suits head here anyhow for an unrivaled menu.
While Sneaky’s has long been synonymous with nachos and fajitas (half price on Tuesdays), even the basic breakfast somehow tastes better than anybody else’s eggs and toast. Other standouts include the Pepe’s Pocket sandwich, oozing with cheesy goodness, stellar handcut fries, old-fashioned milkshakes, and the best damn potato skins on the planet. These perfectly baked spuds come hollowed out and loaded with your choice of black beans, guacamole, frijoles, veggie chilli and more- and they’re smothered in sour cream and melted cheese. The chicken wings provide a bit of competition for the nachos if you’ve got a jug of beer- but be careful about ordering both unless you can carry a few pounds of take-home. Sneaky’s doesn’t believe that good things come in small packages.
Comments